No-one is pretending that Rangers start to the season has been positive or productive, but isn’t it peculiar that on the eve of a massive Champions League qualifier for Scotland’s champions, the native press corps aren’t backing ‘their’ team?
Again, uncritical cheerleading doesn’t help anyone and there are obvious questions that need asked and answered, but today’s back pages effectively resemble a collective hatchet job on the manager and players at Ibrox.
https://twitter.com/GrandmasterSuck/status/1424636835666534405
Several titles and contributors have gone for the angle of Rangers faltering in front of crowds and therefore last season’s title success is somehow diminished, adding further pressure to the expectation that awaits tomorrow.
Other commentators meanwhile are pointing toward angst at the new media set-up at Ibrox and writers now flexing their muscle with criticism from the outside at a time when Rangers are obviously not in form, on the pitch.
On Tuesday night, Steven Gerrard’s champions are more than capable of getting the required win over Malmo.
That task will be assisted by the formidable force of a full Ibrox, backing their favourites to the hilt, under the floodlights at Ibrox.
As much as the Swedes inflicted damage last week and they will be respected, bigger and better sides have felt the pressure in Govan over the last three years in the European arena.
The general press angle today just aides a siege mentality which will suit Gerrard and the fans very nicely – if anything, it will raise the decibels.
On top of the most important business on the pitch on Tuesday evening, a particular message can be sent to more than a few in the mainstream press.